they are not ideally suited to today's bees
There is very little, if anything that is 'ideally suited' to all bees at any time.
That is one reason for so many differing opinions/advice for what may appear to be a very simple situation.
They standardised the frame size back in the 1880s and the WBC was developed with those frame sizes around 1890 (info from the Dave Cushman site)
Virtully all the stocks which were around then were wiped out early last century and replaced with different strains. More recently other strains have been developed/imported just to keep the changes ongoing. OSR was unknown as a bee forage crop in those days.
I chose 14 x 12s with OMFs, using top bee space and no top ventilation (thick sheet of insulation instead) as the ideal set-up, getting on for ten years ago. Yeah right! I was in the minority then, as I am today. My hives suit me for most characteristics but they are certainly not 'ideal'. Nor are my Dartingtons, but I like them as well.
That is about 'it'. Wake up to the fact that your beekeeping can so easily be unique, even among your local area. Similar - yes, identical - no. The differences may be minor, but they will be there.
RAB
There is very little, if anything that is 'ideally suited' to all bees at any time.
That is one reason for so many differing opinions/advice for what may appear to be a very simple situation.
They standardised the frame size back in the 1880s and the WBC was developed with those frame sizes around 1890 (info from the Dave Cushman site)
Virtully all the stocks which were around then were wiped out early last century and replaced with different strains. More recently other strains have been developed/imported just to keep the changes ongoing. OSR was unknown as a bee forage crop in those days.
I chose 14 x 12s with OMFs, using top bee space and no top ventilation (thick sheet of insulation instead) as the ideal set-up, getting on for ten years ago. Yeah right! I was in the minority then, as I am today. My hives suit me for most characteristics but they are certainly not 'ideal'. Nor are my Dartingtons, but I like them as well.
That is about 'it'. Wake up to the fact that your beekeeping can so easily be unique, even among your local area. Similar - yes, identical - no. The differences may be minor, but they will be there.
RAB
